BANGKOK — Chinese health authorities said two new coronavirus cases were confirmed on Saturday, continuing a downward trend since the government took steps to cut the number of people arriving from overseas.
People wear face masks to protect against the new coronavirus as they sit on a carnival ride at a public park in Beijing, Saturday, May 2, 2020. China, where the pandemic began in December, reported one new infection and no deaths in the 24 hours through midnight Friday. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
One new case was in inland Shanxi province, west of Beijing, and the other was an imported one in Shanghai.
China’s official confirmed case count stands at 82,877. Most of the patients have recovered and been discharged from hospitals.
China reported no new deaths Saturday and has recorded just one in the past two weeks. The country’s official death toll has reached 4,633.
The government has blocked virtually all foreigners from entering the country and sharply curtailed the number of international flights, making it difficult for Chinese citizens to return from overseas too.